BFRP

2.2 - Skills

Introduction

While characteristics are a character's basic physical, mental and spiritual aptitudes, skills are for the most part learned. There are seven basic categories of skills: Agility, Communication, Knowledge, Manipulation, Perception, Combat, and Magic. The fact that there are the same number of categories as characteristics is purely coincidental!

Agility

Any skill to do with physical co-ordination and control of one's whole body is an Agility skill. The basic Agility skills are Athletics, Boat, Dodge, Ride, Throw, Swim, Stealth.

Communication

All skills to do with direct social interaction are Communication skills. The basic Communication skills are Entertain, Fast Talk, Orate, Speak [Language]

Knowledge

Any skill that is predominantly intellectual is a Knowledge skill. The basic Knowledge skills are [Craft], Evaluate, First Aid, Lore [Subject], Read/Write [Script]

Manipulation

Whereas Agility is bodily co-ordination, Manipulation is predominantly concerned with manual tasks. The basic Manipulation skills are Conceal, Devise, Make [Craft], Play Instrument

Perception

All skills pertinent to the physical senses are Perception skills. The basic Perception skills are Listen, Observe, Track

Combat

Combat skills are somewhat different to the other categories, in that there isn't really a fixed list of combat skills. Because some games may feature little or no combat, or may deal with conflict very simply, but others may wish to focus much more closely on combat as a dramatic element of the game, Combat skills will be dealt with in further sections.

Magic

Magic is another area where one game will differ dramatically from another depending on what world or setting the game is using, Magic will be dealt with in further sections.

Mechanics

Skills are expressed as a "percentage chance", representing the character's likelihood of being able to do something a bit tricky or difficult. A skill level of 20% allows the character to do anything within the skill's remit that is considered very easy for anyone with the most basic training or practice. At 50%, die rolls are not required for tasks that are "normal", meaning the ordinary use of the skill under relatively relaxed conditions. 90% skill effectively indicates mastery of that skill, and at this level die rolls are not required for anything but the most taxing tasks.

In other circumstances, the player (or referee if the skill is being attempted by an NPC) must roll d100, and a result of equal to or lower than the skill indicates success. Adverse circumstances may impose a penalty, or preparation or other beneficial situations may grant a bonus, to the character's skill for the purposes of the roll. This can affect the rule-of-thumb skill requirements described above.

For example, a carpenter with a Craft: Carpentry skill of 80% can make bowls, boxes, and simple carvings without needing to roll for each one. If he tries something a bit more difficult, such as a ladder, then he needs to roll 80 or less on d100. If he had a design to work from, or a good example to copy, the referee might decide to give a 10% bonus to his skill, so he would not have to roll in order to make a functional ladder.

Individual skill descriptions will provide a small selection of example tasks that count as easy, normal, or difficult.

Skills are organised into categories, each category having a positive or negative modifier associated with it that represents a character's aptitude. Chapter 3.1: Character Generation deals with how these categories are figured. They act as a bonus to all skills in that category, and the character's skill is always considered to include this category modifier.

Agility

Athletics

This is really a catch-all that covers any physical co-ordination task that is not part of any other Agility skill.
Simple: Walking along a plank, climbing a ladder
Normal: Jumping horizontally your own height in distance from a standing start
Difficult: Catching hold of a tree branch as you fall past it, or doing a somersault

Boat

Proficiency in handling some simple forms of water-borne craft, as appropriate to the local culture. Primitives might use coracles or canoes, bronze or iron age folk might have simple sailing or rowing boats. Anything needing more than four people to handle it requires specialist knowledge that the referee must approve of, and at least one member of the crew must have Lore: Sea
Simple: Enter or exit a boat without capsizing in good conditions, keep it going in gentle current or breeze
Normal: Swap positions with someone else within a boat, avoid a turbulent current, land the craft where desired against a head wind
Difficult: Successfully navigate rapids, bail out in moderate rain while keeping the boat under control